Shooting in the waves

King Kamehameha

On the North Shore of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, Clark Little used to head into the water on a surfboard. Now he conquers the big surf with nothing more than flippers and a camera. The result is an inside look at the stunning beauty of waves.

Little's new book "Shorebreak" features images of waves he shot in Hawaii, Tahiti, Japan and California.

In this image, the lip of the wave bears a likeness to King Kamehameha I, who united the Hawaiian Islands in 1810 and established the Hawaiian monarchy. King Kamehameha I, with his helmet and spear, is perched out on the tip of this advancing wave.

Last Blast

This shot was captured by laying on the dry sand as a wave throws over to create the shorebreak barrel. There is no escaping a sure beating.

Credit: Clark Little

Gold Nugget

The rising sun is captured in the center of this early-morning tube. Little's favorite time to shoot is the morning since the crowds are thinner -- or, as in this case, non-existent.

Credit: Clark Little

Clark vs Goliath

Little faces a massive wave in this image taken by his wife, Sandy.

Credit: Sandy Little

Marlin

A one-in-a-million shot taken as two waves collide sending up a column of water in front of the sunrise. Named after the shape of the Marlin's dorsal fin.

Credit: Clark Little

Ocean Eagle

An endangered Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle (known as Honu in Hawaiian) swims behind a breaking wave in the shallow waters off of the North Shore.

Credit: Clark Little

Sand Monster

One of Little’s early images shot seven years ago when he started out as a photographer. The picture was taken while he stood in about three feet of water as a ten-foot wave heaves up and over. It is so shallow, the sand is getting sucked into the wave.

Credit: Clark Little

Sun Curl

The sun and its rays are perfectly captured in the arc of the wave early in the morning. Little often heads out in the pitch dark to capture the sunrise.

Credit: Clark Little

Conquering the surf

Little wades through the water while on a shoot.

Credit: Aaron Lloyd

Crystal Ball

A surfer's view out of a shorebreak tube breaking in the crystal clear water of the North Shore. The glassy, light wind conditions keep the water surface smooth and transparent, highlighting the sand on the sea floor and clouds through the roof of the tube.

Credit: Clark Little

Capturing the waves

Little holds his camera while staring up at a huge, breaking wave.

Credit: Flynn Novak

Big Blue

A large wave surges outward as it hits the shallow sand bank, sucking the sand off the sea floor and into the wave itself.

The mid-day sun from above provides the optimum lighting through the thick and transparent wave, while the calm winds turn the water surface into glass.